Hong Kong Tramways
Hong Kong Tramways is a tram system in Hong Kong and one of the earliest forms of public transportation in Hong Kong, before the MTR. Owned and operated by Go-Ahead, and now becoming RATP Development Asia, the tramway runs from Shau Kei Wan to Kennedy Town. Trams in Hong Kong have not been the form of commuter transport for 110 years, but also a major transport attraction and one of the most environmentally-friendly tram systems in Hong Kong. The tramway opens in 1904. In 2006, route maps were introduced at every tram stop. The logo was rebranded in 2017. History *1881: Tramway system is proposed for Hong Kong. *1901: Proposal is accepted by Hong Kong Government. *1902: Hong Kong Tramway Electric Company Limited founded. *1902: Name changed to Electric Traction Company of Hong Kong Limited. *1903: Construction of a single-track system began, from Kennedy Town to Causeway Bay. The route was later extended to Shau Kei Wan. *1904: Bodies of the first fleet of 26 tramcars were built in the United Kingdom. They were then shipped in pieces Hung Hom to be assembled. The tramcars were all single-deck. Ten tramcars were designed for first class passengers and the others were for third class passengers. The first-class compartment was enclosed in the centre with two long benches on both sides, with both the front and back ends open. Seating capacity was 32 passengers. The third-class tramcars were open-sided, with six sets of benches running crossways, back to back, seating 48 passengers. Tram fares for the first and the third class were 10 cents and 5 cents respectively. Initially, the company planned to divide the trams into 3 classes, but subsequently only first and third class were chosen for ease of operation. *1932: Double-decker tram was introduced. *1942: Single-decker tram was phased out. The Japanese destroyed all single-decker trams. *1983: A single comprehensive depot at Russell Street was the only depot of the system in its early days. It was able to house the whole tram fleet (approximately 120 cars). Upon further extension, the depot was renamed Sharp Street Depot. Sharp Street Depot was closed in 1989 and its services were divided between two new depots, the Sai Wan Ho depot (East Depot) and the Whitty Street depot (West Depot).The Executive Council approved Tramways’ plan to relocate its depots to Sai Wan Ho and Sai Ying Pun in July 1986, on the argument that the HK$3.5 million in operating costs would be saved. The company promised that tram fares would be unchanged until the end of 1988. The old Sharp Street tram depot was decommissioned in 1988, and the Times Square commercial complex was constructed on the site. *2004: HKT celebrates 100 years of service. *2006: Observation at Hennessy Road. *2007: Route maps were installed in each tram stop. New driving panels were introduced in November. *2010: The ride from Admiralty to Happy Valley and Causeway Bay. *2017: Revamp with the new logo, new livery and new map. Tickets As of 2 July 2018, HKT fares are HK$2.60 for adults, HK$1.30 for children, and HK$1.20 for senior citizens. Unlike most forms of public transport in Hong Kong, HKT fares are uniform regardless of the distance travelled. Monthly tickets costing HK$200 are sold at the Shek Tong Tsui, Causeway Bay, and North Point termini at the end of each month. Passengers pay upon alighting by either depositing the exact fare in coins into the farebox, or by using an Octopus card. Turnstiles at the tram entrances and closed circuit television prevent fare evasion by passengers. Tourist Services Sightseeing tours are available on antique-style tramcar No. 68, which has an open balcony and a historical exhibit on board. Sightseeing tram boarding and alighting take place at the sightseeing tour termini: Western Market and Causeway Bay. Standard tramcars and antique-style, open-balcony tramcars No. 18, No. 28, No. 68, and No. 128 are available for private charter. Charter tram boarding and alighting take place at Whitty Street Depot, except for premium charter tramcar No. 18; its boarding and alighting takes place at Western Market Terminus. Fleet Hong Kong Tramways now owns 163 double-decker trams including two open-balcony tourist trams (28 and 128) for private hire. Most of the trams can spot at Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. Hong Kong is the only full double-decker tram in the world. Before 1930s, single decker trams became the norm. The trams underwent slight conversion between 1932 and the wartime. During the wartime, many of the single decker trams were destroyed or implicated by the Japanese soldiers. Services *Kennedy Town - Happy Valley *Shek Tong Tsui - Causeway Bay *Western Market - Shau Kei Wan HKT currently has around 120 tram stops, including its seven termini. The termini, from west to east, are Kennedy Town, Shek Tong Tsui, Western Market, Happy Valley, Causeway Bay, North Point, and Shau Kei Wan. The stops are densely located, with an average interval of 250 metres (820 ft) between them. Several tram stops are located in the middle of the road on sheltered refugee islands, which are accessed by pedestrian crossings or footbridges. Track crossovers near the Davis Street, Eastern Street, Pedder Street, Gresson Street, Victoria Park, North Point Road, and Mount Parker Road stops are used in emergency situations, such as en-route traffic accidents. The majority of HKT stops have remained unchanged since their establishment, but some have had name changes. The Pedder Street stop was previously named Shu Shun Kwun (書信館), which referred to a now-demolished former General Post Office building. The Island Line of the MTR is roughly parallel to the tram line between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, where some sections are directly being built under the tram tracks. Many HKT stops are within close proximity to the MTR stations. Ferry terminals can be accessed through the footbridges, such as the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal and the Central Ferry Piers. The latter contains Star Ferry Pier, which is one of the stops for the Star Ferry. Future Plans In 2010, HKT appointed a consultancy firm to investigate the feasibility of constructing a 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) modern tramway system in the Kai Tak Development, built on the vacated site of the former Kai Tak Airport, in place of the Environmentally Friendly Linkage System monorail proposed by the Hong Kong Government. A proposal was submitted to the Development Bureau on 29 April 2013. HKT pointed out that the cost of constructing the proposed tram system is HK$2.8 billion, which is less than the HK$12 billion needed for a monorail system. Possible extensions to neighboring places such as To Kwa Wan, Kowloon City, and Kwun Tong were suggested. Bruno Charrade, Managing Director of HKT, said that the new system's tramcars could be designed to resemble their Hong Kong Island counterparts or have a totally new design, depending on the government's discretion. Beginning in 2011, the entire HKT fleet will be refurbished over a period of seven years at a cost of HK$75 million. The trams will keep their original exterior design, but the outer teak structures will be replaced with aluminium structures. The benches on the lower decks of the trams will be replaced with modern-looking single seats. Digital broadcasts will be placed inside the trams to inform passengers of the next stop, and LED lighting will be installed. AC motors will replace the current DC motors and a new magnetic emergency braking system will be added. Aborted Plans In 1910s, Hong Kong Tramways proposed the Kowloon Tramways Project, where the completion of the KCRC caused the government to veto the plan. In 1970s, Chai Wan was developed into a residential and industrial area, which greatly increased the traffic demand to Central. Extending the tram line from Shau Kei Wan to Chai Wan was considered, but was ultimately rejected due to low cost-effectiveness, as hills exist between Chai Wan and Shau Kei Wan, and difficulties arise from tunneling through the hills to make level track. It was replaced by the Island Line service — linking Chai Wan and Admiralty — which was opened to the public on 31 May 1985. During the development of Tuen Mun New Town in the 1970s, the Hong Kong Government reserved space for the construction of a rail transportation system. In 1982, the government invited HKT to construct and operate a tram system in the area. HKT initially expressed interest in the construction of the railway and intended to operate it with double-decker trams, but later withdrew. The government then invited KCRC to construct and operate a light rail system. That system, now known as the Light Rail, opened to the public on 18 September 1988. In popular culture This tram was featured in the explosive collision in Time Crisis 4 and Sleeping Dogs.